Fortinet FortiGate 81E

End of sale
FortiGate 81E — discontinued by Fortinet

FortiGate 81E has reached end of sale and is no longer available. The replacement model is the FortiGate 81F.

  • Last order (EOO)November 14, 2021
  • Last renewal (LSED)November 14, 2025
  • Support ends (EOS)November 14, 2026

Legacy compact, fanless desktop next-generation firewall built on Fortinet's SoC3 security processor, with 4 Gbps firewall throughput, 1.3 million concurrent sessions, 12 GE RJ45 switch ports plus two shared-media GE RJ45/SFP pairs, and a 1x 128 GB onboard SSD for local logging. Ideal for branch offices and small business. The FortiGate 81E is end of life — FortiGuard and FortiCare renewals are still available below, and the FortiGate 70G is the current replacement.

KEY PERFORMANCE
Threat protection250 Mbps
Firewall throughput4 Gbps
NGFW throughput360 Mbps
Concurrent sessions1.3 M
Why buy with us:
FortiGuard & FortiCare renewals Upgrade guidance Worldwide license delivery MSSP 100% secure checkout Expert pre-sales support
Fortinet FortiGate 81E (FG-81E) desktop firewallFortinet Select Partner
UPGRADE PATH

FortiGate 81E and its modern replacement

The FortiGate 81E is end of life. The FortiGate 70G is the recommended, currently-shipping replacement with a full-generation jump in firewall throughput, threat protection and interface speeds; the FortiGate 90G steps up further. Same FortiOS and FortiGuard services across the range.

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FortiGate 81E
Threat protection250 Mbps
Firewall4 Gbps
NGFW360 Mbps
Concurrent sessions1.3 M
New sessions/sec30,000
Recommended replacement
FortiGate 70G
Threat protection1.3 Gbps
Firewall10 Gbps
NGFW1.5 Gbps
Concurrent sessions1.4 M
New sessions/sec100,000
View the FortiGate 70G →
Step up
FortiGate 90G
Threat protection2.2 Gbps
Firewall28 Gbps
NGFW2.5 Gbps
Concurrent sessions3 M
New sessions/sec124,000
View the FortiGate 90G →
SPECIFICATIONS

FortiGate 81E specifications

Firewall throughput (1518 / 512 / 64 byte, UDP)4 / 4 / 4 Gbps
Firewall latency (64 byte, UDP)3 µs
Firewall throughput (packets/sec)6 Mpps
Concurrent sessions (TCP)1,300,000
New sessions/second (TCP)30,000
Firewall policies5,000
IPS throughput (Enterprise mix)450 Mbps
NGFW throughput (Enterprise mix)360 Mbps
Threat protection throughput (Enterprise mix)250 Mbps
IPsec VPN throughput (512 byte)2.5 Gbps
Gateway-to-gateway IPsec VPN tunnels200
Client-to-gateway IPsec VPN tunnels2,500
SSL-VPN throughput200 Mbps
Concurrent SSL-VPN users (tunnel mode, rec. max)200
SSL inspection throughput (IPS, avg. HTTPS)135 Mbps
Application control throughput (HTTP 64K)900 Mbps
Virtual domains (default / max)10 / 10
Maximum managed FortiSwitches16
Maximum managed FortiAPs (total / tunnel)32 / 16
Maximum FortiTokens500
High availabilityActive-Active, Active-Passive, Clustering
Hardware accelerationFortinet SPU (SoC3)
Interfaces12x GE RJ45 ports, 2x GE RJ45 DMZ/HA ports, 2x GE RJ45/SFP shared-media pairs, 1x USB, 1x console (RJ45)
Onboard storage1x 128 GB SSD (local logging & reporting)
3G/4G WANUSB port for compatible third-party 3G/4G modem
Form factorDesktop (fanless), wall-mountable
Dimensions (H x W x L)1.65 x 8.5 x 7 in (42 x 216 x 178 mm)
Weight2.65 lbs (1.2 kg)
Power input100-240V AC, 50/60 Hz
Operating temperature32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C)
Storage temperature-31°F to 158°F (-35°C to 70°C)
Humidity10% to 90% non-condensing
Operating altitudeUp to 16,404 ft (5,000 m)
ComplianceFCC Part 15B Class B, CE, RCM, VCCI, UL/cUL, CB, BSMI
CertificationsICSA Labs (Firewall, IPsec, IPS, Antivirus, SSL-VPN)
Power consumption (avg / max)18 W / 25 W
Heat dissipation85.3 BTU/h
Noise levelFanless, 0 dBA
Product lifecycleEnd of life (legacy) — end of support 2026-11-14; renewals available in the meantime; upgrade path: FortiGate 70G

Source: official Fortinet FortiGate 80E Series datasheet (FG-80E-DAT-R14-201906; FORTIGATE 81E column). No 80E datasheet ships in the local folder, so specifications were verified against the official Fortinet datasheet. The datasheet button links to the FortiGate 80E Series datasheet hosted on DataCenter360.ca.

Download the FortiGate 81E datasheet
USE CASES

Where the FortiGate 81E fits

Protect an installed unit
Keep an existing 81E covered with renewed FortiGuard security services and FortiCare support while you plan a refresh.
Branch & SMB edge
Compact fanless desktop NGFW for branch offices and small business, with 12 GE switch ports, two shared-media GE RJ45/SFP pairs, a 128 GB SSD and SD-WAN in FortiOS.
Plan an upgrade
Move to the FortiGate 70G for current hardware, far higher throughput and full FortiGuard AI-powered services.
Managed (MSSP)
Run centrally from FortiManager or FortiGate Cloud as part of a managed security service.
80E SERIES

Compare the FortiGate 80E series

Same 80E series platform and 4 Gbps firewall performance across the line. The variants differ mainly by onboard storage and PoE.

ModelPortsOnboard storage
FortiGate 80E12x GE RJ45 + 2x DMZ/HA + 2x shared-media RJ45/SFPView →
FortiGate 80E-PoE16x GE RJ45 (12x PoE/+ , 2x WAN, DMZ/HA)View →
FortiGate 81E12x GE RJ45 + 2x DMZ/HA + 2x shared-media RJ45/SFP1x 128 GB SSDViewing
FortiGate 81E-PoE16x GE RJ45 (12x PoE/+ , 2x WAN, DMZ/HA)1x 128 GB SSDView →

Available renewals for the FortiGate 81E

FortiGuard and FortiCare renewal subscriptions for installed FortiGate 81E units. Licensing is electronic and delivered worldwide.

Renewal bundles Most popular

  • FortiGate 81E POE ATP Bundle Renewal Subscription, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-928-02-12)FC-10-0081E-928-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE UTP Bundle Renewal Subscription, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-950-02-12)FC-10-0081E-950-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE Enterprise Protection Bundle Renewal Subscription, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-809-02-12)FC-10-0081E-809-02-12

FortiGuard services

  • FortiGate 81E POE SD-WAN Underlay Monitoring Service Subscription, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-288-02-12)FC-10-0081E-288-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiGuard OT Security Service, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-175-02-12)FC-10-0081E-175-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiGuard OT Security Service, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-159-02-12)FC-10-0081E-159-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiGuard URL, DNS & Video Filtering, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-112-02-12)FC-10-0081E-112-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiGuard IPS Service, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-108-02-12)FC-10-0081E-108-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE Advanced Malware Protection (AMP), 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-100-02-12)FC-10-0081E-100-02-12

FortiCare support

  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiCare Elite Support, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-204-02-12)FC-10-0081E-204-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiCare Elite Support, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-284-02-12)FC-10-0081E-284-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiCare Premium Support, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-247-02-12)FC-10-0081E-247-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiCare Essential Support, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-314-02-12)FC-10-0081E-314-02-12

Cloud & managed services

  • FortiGate 81E POE SOCaaS Managed Log Monitoring Subscription, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-464-02-12)FC-10-0081E-464-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiAnalyzer Cloud Logging & Analytics Subscription, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-585-02-12)FC-10-0081E-585-02-12
  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiGate Cloud Management & Log Retention Subscription, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-131-02-12)FC-10-0081E-131-02-12

Other

  • FortiGate 81E POE FortiConverter Service, 1-Year (FC-10-0081E-189-02-12)FC-10-0081E-189-02-12
FAQ

FortiGate 81E - frequently asked questions

The FortiGate 81E (FG-81E) has reached end of life and the hardware is winding down. You can still renew FortiGuard security services and FortiCare support for an installed unit while it is in its renewal window, and we can quote the current FortiGate 70G as a direct replacement, shipped across Canada.

The FortiGate 70G is the recommended, currently-shipping replacement — a full-generation jump in firewall throughput and threat protection on Fortinet’s latest security processor. For more capacity, step up to the FortiGate 90G.

Yes, while the model is in its renewal window. Choose a FortiGuard + FortiCare renewal bundle (Enterprise, UTP or ATP) above, or renew individual FortiGuard services and FortiCare support. Licensing is delivered electronically worldwide.

The 81E delivers 4 / 4 / 4 Gbps firewall throughput with 1,300,000 concurrent sessions, accelerated by Fortinet’s SoC3 security processor, over 12 GE RJ45 switch ports, two GE RJ45 DMZ/HA ports and two shared-media GE RJ45/SFP pairs. See the full specification table above.

The FortiGate 81E adds a 1x 128 GB onboard SSD for local logging and reporting; ports and SoC3 security performance are identical to the FortiGate 80E, which has no onboard storage. The 80E-PoE and 81E-PoE variants swap the switch ports for 12 PoE/PoE+ ports with a 110 W budget.

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